She wasn’t aware how violently she was shuddering until Ty was suddenly leaning over her, a worried look on his face.
“Little one?” he asked, frowning as he put warm, reassuring hands on her shaking shoulders. “Little one, are you all right?”
“N-no,” Ellina managed to get out, telling the truth at last. “No, Ty. They want me dead. They want me dead!”
And she burst into tears.
“Hush, little one. I won’t let them. I’ll keep you safe, no matter what. I swear it.”
He gathered her into his arms and held her tight as though she was a distraught child he was trying to calm. Ellina pressed her face to his broad chest and breathed him in—breathed in the warm, wild, spicy scent that somehow smelled like safety and home—and let the tears come.
After what seemed like a long time they tapered off and she was able to swipe her sleeve across her face—not that it did much good. She was still wearing the horribly heavy and constricting parade dress and the fabric was so stiff with jewels and elaborate embroidery there was hardly a square inch of regular fabric to wipe her face on. The result was that she simply smeared her make-up, leaving a mess on the delicate sleeve that she was certain the Head Dress Maker would despair of ever getting out.
“All cried out now?” Ty asked, still cradling her to him.
Ellina nodded, finding no words inside to answer.
“Drink this then.” He gave her a sip of something that was bitter and sweet and very strong. Though Ellina didn’t usually drink, it slid down smoothly and seemed to warm her up from within, which was nice. Despite the heavy dress and the hot fire, she felt cold inside…so cold.
“I’m freezing,” she managed to say, looking up at him. “I can’t…can’t seem to get warm. And this awful dress—I can’t breathe.”
He looked at her with concern.
“You’re going into shock—I thought you might after all the craziness was over. Which is why I drew you a hot bath when I went to pour your drink. It should be all ready to go now. Come on.”
Lifting her in his arms as though she weighed no more than a doll, he stood her carefully before the fire and helped her get out of the heavy gown.
The minute it came off, Ellina drew a deep breath into her lungs and felt as though some of the weight that was crushing down on her had lifted. But she was colder than ever. She stood naked and shivering before the fireplace, Lor squeaking anxiously on top of her head.
“Don’t worry, little fellow, I’ll take care of her,” Ty told him. Then he swept Ellina up into his arms again and carried her into the bathing chamber. Sure enough, the soaking tub was already filled with steaming, scented water that perfumed the air with its warmth.
Ty started to lower her into it, but Ellina clutched at the collar of his uniform shirt, the smooth, satiny fabric cool between her fingers.
“Wait,” she said shakily. “Would you…could you come in with me? I just feel like…the tub is deep and I feel so…so weak.”
Ty nodded at once.
“Of course. Can’t have you slipping under.”
He sat her carefully on the side of the tub and quickly stripped off his shirt and trousers and boots. When he, too, was naked, he picked her up again and sank down into the steaming water, still holding her close to his chest.
Once they were settled, the big Kindred stretched out full-length with his back against one end of the tub and his feet at the other. Ellina lay between his legs, her back and head pillowed against his broad chest and his long arms wrapped securely around her.
“There now, little one,” he rumbled in her ear. “Just relax and warm up. You’re safe now and nothing’s going to happen. I promise.”
Gradually, between the comfort of the steaming water and the security of his big body surrounding her much smaller frame, Ellina felt like she was beginning to thaw. All right…everything was going to be all right because Ty was here and he wouldn’t let any harm come to her. He would keep her safe, no matter what.
He won’t be here forever though, whispered a little voice in her head. He has to leave sometime and go back to the Kindred Mother Ship.
But Ellina pushed the mean little voice away. She couldn’t bear the thought of her big Kindred leaving—especially not tonight. For tonight, she was going to pretend Ty was hers forever and that he would never leave her side.
“Feeling better?” he murmured in her ear at last.
Ellina nodded and found that it was the truth.
“Better,” she echoed. “Except I still have all this gunk on my face.”
She drew a hand over her face and pulled it back in disgust. The elaborate eye makeup must be running—she could feel it caking in her eyelashes and below her brows.
“Let’s get you cleaned up then,” Ty said lightly.
Taking a soft face cloth from the pile on the side of the tub, he dipped it in the warm water and began to wash her face as though she was a child who had eaten a sticky treat at the mid-year fair and needed cleaning up.
Ellina thought about protesting and decided not to. It felt nice to be taken care of like this—like she was little again. At the moment she felt as small and as fragile as Tutti. And for now, at least, it was good to feel that way.
After her face, Ty washed the rest of her body with sweet smelling yina foam. It wasn’t sexual at all, though he washed her everywhere, including her breasts and nipples and between her legs. But he
